


Other Moments

by TheScholarlyStrumpet (equipoise)



Series: Heat of the Moment Verse [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Ficlet, Gen, Rumbelle - Freeform, Swanfire - Freeform, prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-30 08:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5157728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/equipoise/pseuds/TheScholarlyStrumpet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I will be posting all the Tumblr ficlets from my Heat of the Moment Verse here! They are not in chronological order, but I include the ask/prompt for context.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked:
> 
> Heat of the Moment !verse: What happen the morning after they slept together?

Belle woke up half-draped over something warm. Under her ear, Mr. Gold’s heart beat steadily. The rest of the house had gone quiet around them.

Her mouth felt like a desert and her knees were burning. But there was a thrill in the pit of her stomach, knowing how vastly things had changed the night before. Admittedly, she’d needed a little liquid courage to get there, but she’d finally seduced the man she’d been crushing on for ages. She felt very grown up.

She also felt very sore and just a little bit sticky.

Where had her underwear gone, anyway?

Reluctant to leave the circle Gold’s arms had formed around her as they slept, Belle craned her neck to glance around. No sign of her knickers. But there was a distinct hint of light coming in from under the door. And it wouldn’t do to be found like this. Neal would have a fit.

Belle nudged Mr. Gold gently. “I should go.”

He gave no sign he’d heard, so Belle began to extricate herself.

“Don’t go.” His voice was thick and heavy with sleep, eyes still shut. “Not yet.”

Belle hesitated briefly before acquiescing. No one else seemed to be up. Just a few minutes longer, she decided. She lay her head back on his chest.

Gold rumbled something unintelligible and tightened his arms around her. She burrowed against him, savoring the rare unguarded sweetness of the moment.


	2. Panties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous Asked: Will HotM!Neal find Belle's panties?! Do u have an idea on how Neal is going to find out?

Light was playing across his eyelids and Neal squeezed them shut. It took him a moment to remember where he was. Sprawled on his back, on a blanket in his backyard. With Emma Swan dozing on his arm. His fingers were half-numb and he flexed them to work the feeling back in. That roused Emma, who swore quietly and squinted at him. 

“Tequila. Never. Again.” 

Neal grinned. “I’ll make sure there’s vodka for you next time.”

Emma snorted. “Spend one night together and he thinks he’s got ya’ hooked.” 

Neal rolled over to face her and opened his mouth, hoping something romantic but not too cheesy would come out. But then the back door opened and the sound of someone clearing his throat made them both look up. 

Thaddeus stood over his (thankfully fully clothed) son and a blonde girl. The girl turned her face away, immediately, burying it in her arm with a groan. Neal plastered on a smile and scrambled to his feet. 

“Pop! Uh, when did you get home?”

His father clutched the cup of coffee from Granny’s Diner. “Earlier than you expected, I dare say.”

Neal grimaced. “I only meant to have a couple friends, but… it got out of hand.” His shoulders slumped forward, his hands burying themselves in his pockets. There was no point denying it and no way he was gonna talk his way out of it. 

Thaddeus was wrecked. He had made the horrific mistake of giving into the basest of lusts and fucking his son’s best friend. It hadn’t seemed like a mistake at the time, but seeing Belle in the Diner with Jefferson Madden… the way she looked at another man after waking up in  _his_ arms… Thaddeus just didn’t have the energy to deal with this, right now. 

“Tell your friend to go home. I’m going back to bed. I expect this place spic and span by the time I wake up.” He pointed his index finger. “That is not the punishment. There will be a much longer and more painful price for..” he gestured to the mess that was his yard, “this.” 

Neal swallowed and nodded solemnly. 

After he Pop had walked away, Emma stood up, brushing wrinkles from her clothes. They head into the house to find the jacket she’d left behind. It had fallen off the back of the sofa in the parlor. 

“Hey, uh, Neal?” 

Emma wrinkled her nose, looking up from where she knelt by the couch. “I think someone must have had a hell of a night. There’s a thong under your couch.”


	3. Big Brother Neal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon HotM prompt: Neal gives Belle a gift for the baby. Maybe an old stuffed animal he had when he was a baby.

Neal had invited her over for dinner at his house, tonight. She had almost refused on account of how awkward it might be if Thaddeus was home. But that would have looked even more suspicious, so, in the end, she accepted.

Thaddeus was home, as it turned out, but he insisted on treating them both to pizza before disappearing to his study for the evening.

Over mouthfuls of hot, gooey cheese, Neal asked Belle how she was feeling, if she’d been to the doctor lately.

She confirmed that everything was fine, the baby was developing normally and in good health.

He seemed relieved. “I know you haven’t uh, really wanted to talk about it or anything. So, I didn’t want to be pushy. But… you’re like my little sister and I care about you.”

Belle arched one eyebrow. “Neal, I’m four months older than you.”

“Yeah. But like a foot shorter, so…”

Belle made a sound of false outrage and chucked a pepperoni at him.

Neal laughed and ate the intended missile (it had only made it as far as the lid of the pizza box, anyway). “Seriously though. I know I can’t, like give you advice or anything but, if there’s ever anything I can do… You know I’m always here for you, right?”

A lump rose in Belle’s throat and she willed it away. More crying was the last thing she needed, right now. This was supposed to be a fun night! Just like old times. She cleared her throat and forced a broad smile.

“You’re a good big brother, Neal.”

And oh, the hidden irony of those words only hit her after she had spoken them. Suddenly, she felt breathless. She took a quick drink of her soda, letting the fizzy burn in the bad of her throat distract her.

Neal, oblivious, grinned back at her. “Oh! I have a thing for you!”

Belle blinked. “More prenatal vitamins? I promise; I’m well stocked…”

Neal made a face and jumped to his feet. “Wait here.”

“Where else was I gonna go?” she called after him, teasingly. She could hear him clomping up the stairs. Glad for his brief absence, Belle took a moment to compose herself. She could do this. Just have a normal evening with her best friend. Eat pizza and joke and complain about their teachers. Even if she knew that the secret growing inside her was potentially life-changing should Neal ever find out.

But he wouldn’t ever have to. Because the baby would be gone in a few months, off with its new family. And the only thing Neal ever had to know about his father’s involvement was the adoption placement. If that.

Neal bounded back into the room, all elbows and reckless energy.  With a look of pride, he extended to her a small blue teddy bear. Its fur was patchy and it had obviously been resewn a few times, but it had a sweet little embroidered face. “His name is Baloo. After Jungle Book. He was one of my favorites and one of the only stuffed animals I didn’t throw out when I went through that ‘I’m a grown-up now’ phase after middle school. I’d like you to have him. For the baby. A gift from Uncle Neal. ”

Belle looked at the bear, her lower lip trembling. And just like that, she broke. Everything she knew and couldn’t tell him, all bottled up inside. Too much guilt and anger and self reprisal. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. She burst into tears, ugly wet choking sobs. That kind that wouldn’t have allowed words out, even if she’d known what to say.

Alarmed, Neal cast Baloo onto the table (luckily just missing the pizza) and pulled up a chair beside Belle. Without a word, he wrapped both arms tightly around her and pulled her into his chest. Neal was broader and slightly more athletic in build than his father. He smelled of sweat and grass and cheap deodorant that was not quite doing its job.

But Belle took a temporary shelter in his arms and let herself cry. 


	4. Lunchtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked:  
> HotM!Belle: Did Neal ever tell you about him & Emma finding a piece of underwear that *someone* left?

Ruby slid into the seat next to Neal and nudged him with her elbow. “Hey, so we still on for the midnight showing tonight at the Cineplex?”

Neal’s head tilted back as he made a sound of frustration. “Aw man, I totally forgot that was tonight. I can’t. Still grounded.”

Ruby’s mouth twisted. “That sucks. It’s been, what, like 3 weeks already? How much longer?”

Neal snorted, “Until graduation, by the looks of it.”

“Geez, can he even do that?” August called from two seats away, over Ariel and Belle who had their heads bent together over a textbook.

“His house, his rules,” Neal parroted, making a face. “Grounding is better than some of the other crap he’s made me do when I fucked up. I am painfully aware of exactly how many glass unicorns there are attached to that chandelier in his shop. And how long it takes to clean all of them by hand. With a Q-tip.”

Ruby shuddered. “Don’t let your Pop anywhere near my Gran. She doesn’t need any ideas.”

Emma slung her bag down and plopped into Neal’s waiting lap, nabbing a French fry and popping it into her mouth. “Why are we talking about Ruby’s Granny?”

“Oh, I was just explaining how very grounded I am. Like, living under the crust of the Earth, grounded,” Neal elaborated, making a broad gesture with the hand not wrapped around Emma’s waist. “I may never see the light of day, again.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Well, you did have a big ass party without permission. And lots of underage drinking. Also property damage.”

Neal affected a hurt expression. “Thanks, detective… Whose side are you on, anyway?”

Emma stuck her tongue out at him.

“Seriously though,” Neal continued to no one in particular, “I’ve never seen Pop like this. I mean, he has his moods but he’s been a real terror all month.”

No longer able to concentrate on studying, Belle swallowed hard. The hand not holding her pencil clenched in her lap. What the hell did Thaddeus Gold have to be so upset about? Sure, Neal had disobeyed him, but it certainly wasn’t the first time. And it wasn’t as though Thaddeus hadn’t benefitted from the evening’s… entertainments. Belle’s stomach roiled and she took a deep breath to try and calm it.

“Could’ve been worse,” Ruby was saying. “He could’ve come home while the party was in full swing,” she made an exaggeratedly horrified face.

Belle glanced up, “Do you mean he…. I mean, he wasn’t there until that morning, then?”

“Yeah," Neal nodded, "he showed up with coffee and rage. Found Emma and me sleeping together – ”

Emma cleared her throat loudly. A titter of laughter went around the table.

“Just sleeping. Outside. With our clothes on. Because nothing happened that night. Seeing as I am a perfect gentleman.” He grinned winningly up at Emma who grudgingly rewarded him with a kiss. He continued,  “Which is more than I can say for some people at that party….”

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked, before biting into her fried chicken.

Emma wrinkled her nose. “He means we definitely found some chick’s discarded thong in that front room, under the sofa.”

Belle suddenly coughed on her milk. Ariel dropped the textbook she was shoving into her bag to pat her friend on the back. “You okay?”

Belle nodded, red-faced and silent. _Oh God. That’s where that had ended up. How hadn’t she seen it?_

August, leaning across them, once more, asked “Whose was it?”

Emma shrugged. “We didn’t exactly put up a Missing poster. We just tossed it out.”

August looked slightly disappointed before he shrugged and then laughed. “Wow, someone was actually doing it on that ugly-ass couch. Hope they didn’t leave any stains. Your dad would probably made you clean those too.”

Ariel made a disgusted noise, turning away from Belle. “August! We are eating!”

Neal made a face at his some-time friend, “Seriously dude, gross.”

“What?” August raised his hands, palms out, in a gesture of defense.  

Ariel shook her head, twiddling her plastic utensil between two fingers. “Behave or I’ll hit you with my spork.”

August gave her a cheeky grin.

Emma grabbed another fry off Neal’s plate.

“Hey! Get your own!” He half-heartedly covered the plate with his hand.

“Ate mine. Gotta practice today. Need carbs.” Emma said around a mouthful of French fry.

Belle shoved her plate across the table at them. “Here. You can have mine.”

Neal tilted his head to the side. “But you love Fry-day.” The last Friday of every month, the cafeteria made an effort to deep-fry everything in sight. It was school tradition, loathed by the town pediatrician but never fully broken by the PTA.

Belle shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself. “I’m just, um, not feeling great. I think it’s something I ate.” Another wave of nausea swept over her and she pressed her lips together.

Emma looked concerned. “Maybe you should go see the school nurse…”

“Yeah. Maybe. I’m gonna go to the library before Trig. I’ll see you in class, okay?”

Brows knit, Neal nodded. “Okay. Feel better.”

Belle left to a chorus of get well wishes. As soon as she was out of sight, she booked it to the ladies’ room. She hoped it wasn’t a stomach virus or something. She had enough to worry about, right now…


	5. Visit to the Nurse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: HotM!Belle: How did u find out u were pregnant?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set on the same day as the previous chapter

 

After she’d rinsed out her mouth, Belle dragged herself to the school nurse. Sitting on the wooden chair waiting for her name to be called, she did an inventory of what she’d eaten in the last 24 hours. She’d felt a little sick yesterday, but she hadn’t actually gotten sick until today. So maybe it was a virus after all. Not great timing with midterms coming up.

She sighed and leaned back in the stiff chair, putting her hand to her forehead. She didn’t feel feverish. Actually, since leaving the bathroom, she was already feeling much better.

Nurse Ratched, a brusque woman no one had ever seen crack a smile, called her into the tiny make-shift medical office.

“Symptoms?” the woman demanded.

Belle described the issue, wishing she hadn’t bothered to even stop in. She felt fine now.

Without looking up from the checklist on her clipboard, the woman asked “Are you on your period?”

Belle shook her head. Actually, she should be, but it hadn’t started yet. Now that she thought about it, she was a couple of days late. Since going on the pill, she had been pretty regular, only off by the occasional day.

Today was Friday and she should have started on…. Oh God.

Her stomach sank into her toes. Four days late. She’d never been four days late. Even before the pill. Her heart was suddenly pounding, blood buzzing in her ears.

She realized the nurse had asked another question. “What?”

“I said do you smoke?” the woman repeated, irritably.

“Oh. No, I don’t.”

They went down the rest of the checklist but Belle was on autopilot. When asked about her sexual partners, images of Thaddeus Gold, panting beneath her, pulling her down for a messy kiss, groaning as she swiveled her hips, flooded her mind.

“Not recently, no,” she lied.

The nurse looked at her skeptically but made no comment. She rushed apathetically through a brief examination. Reflexes, heartbeat, ears, nose, and throat.

“Doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. Could be food poisoning,” Ratched narrowed her eyes, “or just wasting my time to get out of class.”

Belle swallowed, stomach churning again, though this time she was pretty sure it was from anxiety. “No ma'am. I really did get sick. Please, may I just go home and get some rest?”

The nurse grunted. “Fine, whatever.” She scribbled a note to Belle’s homeroom teacher and sent her off.

At the drugstore, Belle slipped a box of pregnancy tests under her jacket. When the cashier wasn’t looking, she tossed the money for it onto the counter and ran.

Later that evening, she was staring down at two blue plus signs. There was a third test in the box that she would take in the morning, just in case. But some part of her already knew that wouldn’t be necessary.


	6. Bringing Home Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: HotM!Gold, Belle & Neal: What was it like finally bringing the baby home for the first time?

Neal climbed out of the back seat of the car, rolling his shoulders. “God, I am starving.”

Emma made a shushing noise, flapping one hand toward Neal as she shut the car door with the other. “There’s like a miracle of life in front of you and you’re thinking about your stomach?” she whispered, amusement in her eyes.

Neal grinned and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Man cannot live by hospital vending machines alone.”  
Emma bit back a grin and handed him Belle’s overnight bag. “Way to step up, big bro.”

He hefted the bag onto his shoulder with his other arm. Lowering his voice, he turned to his Pop, who was helping Belle out of the car. “You guys need a hand?”

Belle shook her head, replying quietly so as not to wake the tiny sleeping infant nestled in the crook of her arm, “No, I think we’re good. Thanks for getting the bag, though.” She gave him a tired smile.

Belle was more exhausted than she’d ever been in her life. But it had been worth it for the little angel in her arms. Thora had her father’s nose, back before it was broken. She knew from having seen a family album. She had brown hair with a touch of auburn and blue, blue eyes. She was the most beautiful thing Belle had ever seen and she never wanted to stop holding her.

Thaddeus kept an arm around Belle’s waist as they all walked to the door. He was a bundle of nerves and hiding it badly. “Here we are,” he murmured, needlessly, “home at last. I’m sure you’ll want to lie down and I’ve got the nursery all ready for Thora.” His eyes fell on his newborn daughter, heart swelling. She was perfect beyond words. Pink and precious and new. He already loved her to the very depths of his soul.

“I… I was thinking maybe we could move the bassinet into our room? Just for the first few nights?” Belle ventured, not wanting a single wall between herself and her child.

Thaddeus nodded. “Aye, I think we can do that.”

“Neal and I can do it. You guys just rest, okay?” Emma volunteered as Neal went to unlock the front door of the big Victorian house.

“Cool by me,” Neal agreed as he swung it open and gestured for Pop and Belle to enter.

Thaddeus and Belle caught one another’s eyes and locked, both smiling like fools. Each knew the other was thinking it too. Their first time here as a family. A whole family. Belle took Thaddeus’ hand and together they crossed the threshold.

Emma followed but Neal stopped her in the doorway.

“Okay, you’re right," he admitted, "the kid’s cute as hell and I already love her to pieces.”

Emma stuck out her tongue at him. “Ya’ big softy. I knew it.”

“That’s why you love me.” Neal kissed her soundly before pulling her inside the house and making a beeline for the kitchen. Over one shoulder, he called, in a stage whisper, “But I am gonna go make a frozen pizza. Who wants some?”


End file.
